Blast-furnace-charging apparatus.



"J. W. SHDOK. BLAST FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS.

4 APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1912.

1,055,6'H. Patented Mar.11 1913,

Fly. 1.

WITNESSES! INVENTO)? (kg 154'. Pan 8Z6.

Arm/my Ill) he i shill landmine JAMES WARNER SHGOK, F HOLT, ALABAMA.

BLAST-FURNAGE-CEARGING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Mair. ll, 1933.,

Application fllesl may 1 1912. serial No. 69?,13S.

2"!) all when ii concern Be it, known that I, JAMES henna Seoon, a, citizen of the United States of America, residing Holt, in the county of Tuscaloosa and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Blast-Fnrnacerlhargng Apparatus, of 1 which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improrunents in charging apparatus for blast furnaces and more particularly to improved seal, whereby T able to dispense with the up er hell and its attendant complicated em expensive operating apparatus and to substitute therefor an exceedingly simple, light and inexpensive apparatus comprising only a receiving hopper which is closed overhead and provided with a hanging door which normally bears against the frame of the charging door for the hopper and seals it effectively against the escape of gas when the bell is dropped. To simplify the operation of parts, I adapt the skip car to automatically open the hopper door as the car tilts to discharge its contents into the hoper. When material is not being' charged into the hopper the door remains closed and when the bell is dropped to charge material into the furnace, the furnace gas pressure will force the door against its seat or frame making it most eifective as a seal when such is needed.

By my novel arrangement. of charging hopper and gas seal door. I not only simplify the construction and operation of blast furnace tops and reduce operating expense, but, what is of great importance. 1 am enshied to reduce to a minimum the shock to material charged into the furnace. especially Where skip cars are used. In other words. my invention permits of a low top which lessens the distance that the coke has to fall and therefore'minimizes the amount of breakage and resultant coke breeze.

My invention further comprises the details of construction and arrangement of parts which, in their preferred embodiment only, are hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figured is s top Ian View. of a furnace equip ed with Inigo urging apparatus, the

top 0 the hopper g broken away to show the hopper door and the ship car in the posilions amumfi when "the materiel is'being 1 charged into the hopper. Fig. 2 is e vertiml sectional elevation through my improved charging apparatus.

1 lar parts throughout the drawings.

The furnace stack 1 is fitted with a lipring 2 having a central opening adapted to be sealed by the hell 3. The bell has an operating rod 4 which passes upwardly and centrally through the rotary distributing chute 5 and the top 6 of the charging; hopper 7f The chute 5 is provided with en annulo'r raceway S which restsou a series ol antifriction balls that run in a grooved way 9 supported on the annular bracket 10. This bracket is mounted on the conical top 11 which is bolted to the lip ring 2 and incloses-the charging compartment immediately above the .bell. The distributin chute 5 may be operated in any manner weld known in this art. to distribute the material properly on the bell and the latter may he raisednnd lowered by any suitable mecha nism. In fact the parts thus far described are all of standard construction except the charging hopper '4'. zontal cross-section is substantially U-shaped having a fiatvertical side wall 12 which rises from the uncut-red wall 13 forming a portion of the bottom oi the hopper T. The top plate 6 leads downwardly from the upper edge of wall 12 at a sharp angle to join the opposite marginal curved edge of the hopper bottom T. Vertical curved walls inclose each side of the hopper which has a charging opening 14 in the wall 12. This opening is normally closed by a door 15, hinged at 16 to the wall 12 above the opening 14 which it normally hangs in a position to close effectively; here. as illustrated, a. single skip hoist 17. is used, the charging hopper will have only one door 15 which, since it stands opposite to the rod 4 and should swing inwardly beyond it in moving to admit a charge of material, must be provided with a slot Ill which is arranged to receive in it the said rod. This slot closed by a small door 19 hinged to the outer face of the door 15 and having its lower end so disposed as to engage and be held closed by the wall 13 of the hopper bottom when the door 15 is closed. To give a better joint i he bottom edge of the door 15 is bent inwardly at a slight angle which corresponds to the inclination of wall 13 with which ii nekes a This hopper in a hori-.

Similar reference numerals refer to dmi- Eli close hit. when at double skip hoist is used, therod dwill be between the doors 12 and the slot 18 and door 19 are then unneoessar The ship hoist has a car 20 which may be of any standard construction and which rides on the tracks 21 of the hoist. These trucks are designed in the usual manner to gradually tilt the car 20 to dump its con tents into the charging hopper of the fol"- naee. In my invention I provide the car at each side of its front end with a curved flange or projection 22, which projections are adapted to engage each a roller :23 journaled in bearings 2-1 attached to each side of the door 12. Thus, as the car 20 tilts to discharge its contents into the hopper 7, it will engage and open the hopper door 1:2.

It will he noted that the skip car is brought quite close to thebell 3 by my con struction, so that the (ZOlQG has a minimum distance to fell. lit will he further observed that the charging hopper is light, inexpensive and should he exceedingly durable. Ho

complicated or duplex operating mechanism is required, as the-bell 3 may be dropped by any siinple means, and the door 112 is opened by the skip cor, closes automatically,'and is held closed by the gas pressure when the bell -3is dropped. No parts are subjected to any special wear, and all may be readily and cheaply replaced.

In accordance With the requirements of law I hove illustrated only that embodiment of my in ention which I regard as preferable. 1, however, claim as part of my. invention all such modifications and changes as embody the gist of my'invention which is set; forth in the accompanying claims.

lVhot I claim as new and desire to secure hy Letters lfstent, is:-

1. The coinbination with a blast furnace and. its'charg'ing hopper and bell seal therefor, ol? a charging compartment over said hopper and. having bottom opening through which material falls into said hopper, o disti-ibuter which detlects'the stock it falls through said opening there being a 12in charging uppomtus for hlurt fun' oosen naces, a charging hopper provided with e,

side 0 enin, an inwardly ewin'ln closure for said opening, rollers mounted at; the sides of the outer face of su.-' door, a chorging car, and projections carried by the charging car which engage said rollers and move the door inwardly as the cor tilts to discharge its contents into the hopper, substantially as described. I

In a charging apparatus for blast, inn naccs, the lower hopper and cell, a charging hopper superposed above the lower hopper and bell, said chewing hopper having a hood and a straight uncurved vertical side Wall pr videcl with an opening, and a list door hinged Within said hopper so as to swing over'and close said opening.

4. A. blast furnace top comprising a. doll ble hopper, :1 hell to seal the discharge opening of the lower hopper, the upper hopper having a vertical. side opening which extends down to a point near the hood of the lower hopper, and an internal door in the upper hopper to soul said side opening through which material. is introduced into he double hopper, substantially as de-' scribed.

5. In a furnace top having o lip ring and hell, a, normally closed cover over said lip ring, an inwardly opening side door for said cover, it rod for opening the bell, seid doehaving a slot adapted to receive said i'od us the door swings inwardly; a. lisp valve corinected to the outer wall of the door and adapted to swing down over said slot, said flap valve being" adopted. to engage the cover and close the slot- When the door is in closed position.

6. The combination with e furnace top which comprises a closed top hood having side opening, a charging hell and hopper, and an inwardly opening door for mid opening, of a charging car having at its foi=- Ward ends]v curved member. adapted to, engage said door, and track supports for said car which cause said member to engage and gradually open said. door as said our pivots to dump its contents through said opening.

in testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES llU'iRNEE SHOUT.

Witnesses:

, C. H. BLACHLOCK,

VJ. M. Jonson. 

